notamethlab
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2014
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Hey could some one link me to the official KZ store on AliExpress? There seems to be a few using KZ as their name.
What are the most neutral KZ IEMs?
someone who has heard more than 4 types of KZ can chime in but i think it is the ATE.
I found the ATE to have far more bass than neutral, even more than what I think is natural. Anyway they have brilliant isolation...
...but I'd choose the ED9 over the ATE for neutrality.
Firstly, I wouldn`t say they have brilliant isolation - over average but not excellent (even with perfect fit). And secondly, some questions about Your ATE:
1) Does Your ATE have breathing holes in plastic body near the lower end of nozzle?
If Your unit doesn`t have them, then it is 3rd edition ATE (non-S) and with closed port holes they are bassier than 2nd edition.
2) Is Your judgement based on using them with foam tips?
Foam tips make them "muffled" and bassy sounding. Try large bore silicone tips that go on level with nozzle edge.
ATE is kind of mixed bag - it has at least 4 iterations and some even say that same looking ones sound littlebit different... so... hard to judge "animal" this ATE is.
I got lucky and got early 2nd generation translucent black ATE with port holes - sounds very natural and in modified configuration I consider it even towards neutral-sounding not only natural.
I compared the isolation to the Shure SE215 and the StageDiver 2 and find the KZ to be more or less on par with the Shure and slighly weaker than the StageDiver, which I think is brillant.
1) It doesn't have any breathing holes. So this explaines why I hear so much bass! I didn't knew that there are different versions.
2) I use the silicon tips. I don't like foams at all and never tried them with the KZ.
I think that ear anatomy is very important when it comes to isolation with IEM's that are not straight barrel design. I also find the ATE (and the IM70 that uses the same shell design) to isolate pretty poorly and definitely much worse than the SE215 for me. Ymmw would certainly be in place here
I think that ear anatomy is very important when it comes to isolation with IEM's that are not straight barrel design. I also find the ATE (and the IM70 that uses the same shell design) to isolate pretty poorly and definitely much worse than the SE215 for me. Ymmw would certainly be in place here